Unit 4 (1st) Economic activities and geographical spaces

1.  UNIT PRESENTATION

Title

Economic activities and geographical spaces

Unit description

The study of economic activity begins with the analysis of its general aspects: the components and sectors that make it up, economic agents and their relationships - businesses, families and the State - , production factors - natural resources, capital, technology and labour - placing special emphasis on labour problems such as unemployment and working conditions. The unit then goes on to analyse and compare the features of capitalist, socialist and mixed economic systems. Then, current economic trends are presented, focusing on the spread and problems of capitalism and the growth of economic globalisation. Finally, worldwide geoeconomic areas are explained, distinguishing between the traditional economic focus - the Triad - and the emerging economic powers and underdeveloped areas. The ‘Techniques’ section focuses on finding information in the press and on the Internet and will prove very useful to students for expanding on contents in this unit and others.

The various activities presented throughout the unit are designed to help students to acquire knowledge on the following:

-  Economic activity. Components and sectors.

-  Economic agents and their relationships.

-  Production factors (I). Resources, capital and technology.

-  Production factors (II). Labour.

-  Economic systems.

-  Current economic trends (I). Ideologies and problems.

-  Current economic trends (II). Economic globalisation.

-  Worldwide geoeconomic areas.

-  Finding information in the press and on the Internet.

-  Developing core competences.

2.  TEACHING OBJECTIVES

  1.  To identify the components and sectors of economic activity.

  2.  To identify the main economic agents and their relationships.

  3.  To show the importance production factors have on economic activity.

  4.  To know about current economic systems.

  5.  To identify the problems of capitalism and its spread.

  6.  To deepen the knowledge of current economic globalisation.

  7.  To identify current worldwide geoeconomic areas.

  8.  To learn how to find information in the press and on the Internet.

  9.  To promote the development of the core competences.

3. UNIT CONTENT / ASSESSMENT CRITERIA / ASSESSABLE LEARNING STANDARDS / CORE COMPETENCES

Core competences (CC): competence in linguistic communication (CCL), competence in mathematics, science and technology (CMCT), digital competence (CD), learning to learn (CAA), social and civic competence (CSYC), sense of initiative and entrepreneurship (SIEP), cultural awareness and expression (CEC).

Content	Assessment criteria	Learning standards	CC
-  Economic activity. Components and sectors.	1.  Understand and explain the basic concepts related to economic activity.	1.1.  Explains the concept of economy.	CCL CMCT CSYC
		1.2.  Identifies economic sectors.
-  Economic agents and their relationships.	2.  Links the economic agents, and explains their relationships.	2.1.  Identifies the economic agents.	CCL CSYC
		2.2.  Describes economic relationships.
-  Production factors (I). Resources, capital and technology. -  Production factors (II). Labour.	3.  Recognise the importance of resources, capital and technology as production factors.	3.1.  Identifies the role of different production factors.	CCL CSYC
	3.  Distinguish the labour factor and associate it with labour problems.	3.2.  Analyses the problems associated with labour.
-  Economic systems.	4.  Recognise the characteristics of the capitalist and socialist systems, and understand the so-called welfare state.	4.1.  Defines capitalism, socialism and the welfare state.	CCL CAA CSYC
-  Current economic trends (I). Ideologies and problems.	5.  Understand the spread of capitalism in today’s world and recognise its problems.	5.1.  Analyses the spread of capitalism.	CCL CSYC
		5.2.  Identifies the problems associated with capitalism.
-  Current economic trends (II). Economic globalisation.	6.  Demonstrate understanding of what globalisation is.	6.1.  Describes economic globalisation.	CCL CSYC
-  Worldwide geoeconomic areas.	7.  Identify the Triad, emerging powers and underdeveloped areas.	7.1.  Identifies the main geoeconomic areas.	CSYC
-  Finding information in the press and on the Internet.	8.  Use the press and the Internet to learn about current economic problems.	8.1.  Gathers valid and current economic information.	CCL CD CAA CSYC SIEP
-  Developing core competences.	9.  Progress in the learning and application of the core competences	9.1.  Develops the core competences.	CCL CD CMCT CAA CSYC SIEP

 Activities:

1. Desire list: Imagine you are given 400 Euros to spend on whatever you like. Restrictions: you must pay for everything you need for that day (meals, beverages, bus tickets, etc.) but you will be able to spend the rest on anything else you desire. 

- Make a table in Excel (drive) with your desire list and set 6 more columns. Please, make them wide enough to write on them afterwards. Maybe landscape mode is better.

- Write the price of every item on the first column. It should have a sum function in the cell at the bottom. Print it and attach it to this unit. (Keep the digital file in your drive). 

2. 

- Define "economic sector".

- Draw a pie chart to show the economic sectors of developed, emerging and underdeveloped countries.

- Describe them.

- State what sector each of the items of your desire list belong to (on the table)

3. Explain which are the different types of social organization for a business.

4. Write a text that explains how the economic circuit works. 

5. Which are the most important problems regarding the natural resources.

- State in your desire list table if any of your items have any supply problem. 

6. What does active population mean? Are you a part of the active population?

7. Write a text to explain what are the consequences of unemployment in developed countries.

8. Now look at the map on "unemployment rate" (page 89) 

- What is the situation of Spain in comparison to the rest of Europe?

- Search for the unemployment rate in Spain right now. State de source you use. 

9. Now look at table "Discrimination against women" (page 89) 

- Which area has the highest female unemployment rate?

- What do you think is the cause of this?

10. Define: economic activity, economic sectors, capital, economic agents and production factors.

11. Work on a text that explains which are the differences in working conditions in both developed and underdeveloped countries and get ready to explain in front of the class. 
Pay important attention to: not reading paper all the time, addressing to everyone in the room.

12. Make a table in which you summarize the main features of the 3 economic systems.

13. Think of personal decisions you can take to diminish the problems of capitalism. 

14. State if the following statements belong to a pro-capitalist (neoliberalism/keynesianism)/pro-socialist ideology. Explain why.
a) "An urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government"

b) "The intervention of the government in economics is simply absurd: the invisible hand is already organizing it to work properly"
c) "The State must intervene to diminish the problems that capitalism is creating"
d) "Freedom is the only way to economic growth"
e) "Letting the government decide what to produce and in what quantity is the only way to ensure welfare for all"

15. Define globalisation (accuracy, concision) 

16. Look at the following maps and graphics:
Describe and analyse them in groups.

17. Read 7.1. Which are the causes of globalisation?
18. Read 7.2. Which organisations promote globalisation?
19. Read 7.3.
- Why do multinationals locate their factories in poor countries?
- Is it good for poor countries to have factories belonging to foreign factories?
- Give some examples of how globalisation affects consumption.
20. Geoeconomic areas. Take a look at map in page 97 and the texts about Triad/emerging countries/underdeveloped areas.
Make a simple mindmap of them.

Economic activity – Primary sector – Secondary sector – Tertiary sector – Economic agents –

Public sector – Natural resources – Capital – Production cost – Profit – Inflation –

Active population – Economic systems – Capitalism – Socialism – Welfare state – Economic –

Globalisation – Custom tariffs – World Trade Organisation (WTO) – World Bank (WB) –

International Monetary Fund (IMF) – G-20 – Emerging economies – BRICS – Regional powers